YouTubers dumped by golf giant over ‘worst ad known to man’
Updated . First published
Golf equipment giant Callaway has ended its three-year relationship with Good Good Golf as the fallout from a tacky ad promoting a co-branded driver continues.
The golf giant also announced it would make a $1.4 million (US$1 million) donation to a domestic violence charity, while Good Good has pulled out as title sponsor of a PGA Tour event in November.
The video depicts a man pushing a woman to the ground and then standing over her. Good Good Golf
In the 60-second ad, Good Good co-founder Garrett Clark shoves Alexis Miestowski, another regular in Good Good videos, to the ground as she reaches for the driver. As she is on the ground he leans over tells her, “Do not touch my new driver.”
Clark posted an eight-minute video to Instagram on Thursday afternoon (AEST), in which he described the video as “the worst ad known to man” and the reaction was “not what (Good Good) stands for”.
In a fresh statement on Friday morning (AEST), Callaway said it had “listened and reflected deeply on the hurt and disappointment caused” by the ad.
It also announced it had ended its Good Good partnership effective immediately, and it had taken “appropriate internal corrective actions” as well as “strengthened our approval procedures to help ensure this does not happen again”.
In its own statement announcing its withdrawal from the PGA Tour event, Good Good said they “recognise we have work do to as an organisation”.
“Our focus right now is on our team, our culture and ensuring we learn from this situation,” it said.
The PGA Tour said it “agreed” with the decision, and “believes in golf’s ability to bring people together and create a welcoming environment for all”.
The video was originally posted on August 20, but deleted hours later following backlash. Good Good reportedly said it was supposed to be a spoof of the movie Obsession.
A Good Good reality show on the Golf Channel in the USA was postponed after a sponsor demanded its brand be scrubbed from the production. Retailer Dick’s Sporting Goods has also pulled its apparel from stores.
The ad also triggered calls for a boycott of all Callaway equipment.
Good Good started as a YouTube channel which sprung to prominence during the pandemic.
Earlier in the week, Good Good released a brief statement saying the video “ultimately depicted actions that are not aligned with our values as a brand”.
It went on to declare Good Good had “always stood for making the game of golf more inclusive to all”, which triggered its own backlash.
In its own statement, Callaway chief executive Chip Brewer quickly pointed the finger at Good Good, who produced the video, before Callaway approved it.
A screenshot from a controversial ad produced by Golf brands Good Good and Callaway. Good Good Golf
“That approval should never have happened. Mistakes were made, and we are taking the matter very seriously,” he said.
“As we deal with the consequences of our mistake and complete our investigations, I want to make it clear that we sincerely apologise for the video. The content was inappropriate and does not reflect our values. To be clear: We are unequivocally against discrimination, domestic violence, or threatening behaviour of any kind.
“As soon as we recognised the seriousness of the issue, it was escalated appropriately, and the video was immediately removed.”
Brewer said both internal and external investigations were underway, and the company had “already made changes to our approval processes aimed at ensuring this will never happen again”.
“We believe we have been a positive force for diversity and inclusion in the game of golf. This video was completely inconsistent with that. I assure you that we will learn from this and do better,” he concluded.
To make matters worse, the statement was addressed to “our customers, employees, stakeholders and golfers everywhere”. Comments were quick to question why women were not directly addressed.
Good Good was started by a group of friends essentially filming their rounds and playing trick shots, and has grown to become the third-biggest golf channel on YouTube. It has also expanded to become a highly popular apparel brand.
The cast of the video were all Good Good regulars.
Callaway meanwhile is one of golf’s three biggest brands, along with Titleist and TaylorMade. Professionals who play with Callaway equipment include Australia’s Lee siblings Min Woo and Minjee, Sam Burns, and Xander Schauffele.